Embrace Transparency, Accountability In Governance – AGF Madein Charges Public Officers

BY COBHAM NSA – The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Dr Oluwatoyin Madein, has challenged public officials on the entrenchment of transparency and accountability at all tiers and aspects of governance to positively move the country forward.

However, she admonished that being transparent and accountable should not just be about finances or financial mangers, but other resources, including human resources, must be considered at all times.

Dr Madein, who spoke at the 2024 National Council on Finance and Economic Development (NACOFED) held in Bauchi State, said; “Transparency doesn’t end with finances, it goes round to even the store keeper and those that manage the kitchen. Infrastructure has to be accounted for, everything that can be used indiscriminately, must be properly accounted for in a transparent manner”

According to her; “If we only build structures around how finances can be controlled, and leave the other areas without much control mechanism, then we are just doing haphazard job.”

“We need to build serious control measures around our assets”, she said, stressing that it has become imperative for persons in positions of authority to adequately account for assets that are procured through public funds.

A statement by Bawa Mokwa, Director Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), quoted Dr Madein as saying; “When funds are released for the purpose of increasing assets of the government, those assets must be accounted for by those that are handling them”.

The AGF further emphasized the need for continuous capacity building and motivation of the work force, insisting that such steps were of utmost importance to ensure transparency and accountability in managing public assets.

Dr Madien, who also addressed issues around fiscal discipline, urged governments at all levels to adopt appropriate control measures and imbibe the culture of savings and viable investments to guarantee availability of financial and other resources during the rainy day.

“Savings is good and savings at the time of plenty is advisable. Governments at all levels should save from whatever comes to them so that they can have what to fall back to in any adverse situation”, the AGF maintained.